Binstock and Reader advance to wildcard match

LONDON (August 1, 2012)– Josh Binstock of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Martin Reader of Comox, B.C., will get another opportunity to advance to the round of 16 in men’s beach volleyball following a straight sets loss to Brazil in their last preliminary round match on Wednesday night.

The Canadians fell 21-18, 24-22 to seventh seeds Pedro Cunha and Ricardo Santos. The Brazilians finish first in Pool F with a perfect 3-0 record while the Canadians take third spot in the pool with a win and two losses.

“We really thought we could win the game,” Binstock said. “It was good to battle them; they are one of the best teams in the world. We didn’t lose it, they took it.”

Binstock and Reader will play their wildcard match, officially called the ‘’Lucky Loser’’ match, on Thursday evening. The opponent for Canada had not been confirmed late Wednesday evening.

Four third place teams are matched up in Lucky Loser format with the two winners advancing to the round of 16 which starts Friday. The top two teams in each of the six pools and the two best third place teams earned a direct ticket to round of 16.

Also on Thursday, Annie Martin of Sherbrooke, Que., and Marie-Andrée Lessard of Ville LaSalle, Que., (0-2) complete their preliminary round against Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti of Italy (2-0). The Canadians need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Match time is noon in London or 7 a.m. EDT in Canada.